NSW floods: Singleton, Bulga peaks pass as Maitland prepares for Hunter river to rise

Levels in the Wollombi Brook were on Friday falling at Bulga and Singleton, albeit slowly, and fell below the minor flooding line. The SES said they expected no more flooding at Singleton.

Minor flooding continued in Maitland ahead of the high water mark, with the SES predicting the Hunter river is due to peak at a height of about 7.6 metres. That figure was revised down after earlier concerns an 8.5-metre high would arrive on Saturday. Port Stephens-Hunter police district commander Detective Superintendent Chad Gillies said waterways remained swollen despite an end to relentless rain in most of the region.

"Thankfully I can report that as it currently stands the majority of our community are safe, they have been communicating well with the SES, they've prepared and to this date no injuries or fatalities have occurred in our area," he said. "What I can say is that some of our residents have had some isolation reports, but as I said, they were well prepared and well versed."

He said properties were cut off around Dungog, Maitland and Port Stephens.

The SES estimated about 60 properties were cut off in the Hillsborough and Rosebrook areas near Tocal. Volunteers from the Maitland Vale branch on Thursday began operating a flood boat to transport residents of from Maitland Vale Road to the intersection of Luskintyre Road between 9am and 11am or 3pm and 5pm. The boat was slated to ferry groceries and supplies until Sunday.

While the brunt of the weather system's damage was elsewhere, Detective Superintendent Gillies said the looming Easter long weekend would demand caution on the region's roads and in using swollen waterways.

"What that means for us is that risk is not over," he said.

"I encourage everyone in particular to be really conscious of what's occurring around our roads in terms of road closures, road conditions that have potentially been impacted by what's occurred in this last week, and drive to the conditions."

At Bulga the Wollombi brook was at 3.59 metres on Friday morning and dropping, while Singleton's river level has dropped from a peak of 12.2 metres on Thursday to 9.84 metres.

"People in areas likely to be impacted by flooding in low-lying areas of Wollombi Brook area should prepare for potential isolation and possible evacuation," the SES said in a statement.

The emergency service had expected water to keep the Putty Road near Bulga Public School closed as well as a number of bridges and low-lying roads around Jerrys Plains. It had also feared that Whittingham near Singleton may become isolated.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts showers in Newcastle on Monday after a cloudy but dry weekend. The forecast is similar in Cessnock and Singleton, giving the waterways a few days to clear the deluge that bucketed into the region in the past week.

Hunter Water on Friday reported the region's overall storage was at 99.6 per cent, up 34.1 per cent on the same time last year and 4.5 per cent on last month. Only Anna Bay sandbeds, at estimated 94 per cent of capacity, have room remaining.

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